


Addiction

by kiscico



Series: Carter!verse [4]
Category: Numb3rs
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Community: numb3rs100, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-17
Updated: 2013-03-17
Packaged: 2019-04-08 05:17:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14098056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiscico/pseuds/kiscico
Summary: Originally written for the N100 prompts: Addiction, Alcohol, Secret, and Encounters





	Addiction

**Party Favor**

Colby Granger’s father had died of liver failure due to chronic alcoholism when Colby was barely ten. Growing up Colby hadn’t touched alcohol, not at weddings, and not on New Year’s. Colby made it half way through college, before he made his first mistake. He drank for the first time- the night was surprisingly crystal clear in Colby’s memory. It had been a celebration for his one of his friend’s birthday at a frat house. He had gone to these kinds of parties over the years, but he had never given in, never even tasted alcohol. 

So when someone handed him a drink that didn’t smell like alcohol, Colby took a tentative sip. When he couldn’t taste anything odd, he took a bigger sip and a bigger sip, and then it was gone. By the end of the night Colby was drunker than anyone else at the party, and had become the official party favor. He never forgave his “friend” or his roommates for the humiliation and pain they had put him through. After that night, Colby swore to never touch alcohol again. He had made his mistake. He couldn’t look at himself in the mirror for almost a month.

 

**Moderation**

By the time Colby Granger made it into the Army, he learned the lesson of moderation. He could at least drink a few beers with buddies, but never more. The only person Colby had ever told about his father’s problem, and subsequently his own problem was Dwayne Carter. He had told him about the party in college and how they had… taken advantage of him. And Dwayne took it in stride and even looked out for Colby. Sometimes even going as far as tasting drinks at parties, since Colby was especially wary of crowded gatherings that involved alcohol. 

The one night Dwayne and Colby did drink alone together was a disaster. They had been in Afghanistan at the time, and had already become lovers of a sort. They were worn out and tense and drank too much. By the end of the night they had ended up in bed together. Colby made it a point to remind himself of moderation more often. While in Quantico, Dwayne helped keep Colby in line. And Colby was comfortable in his drinking habits… in fact, it wasn’t even a habit anymore. Without Dwayne Carter Colby never would have made it. He was forever grateful.

 

**Becoming Familiar**  
Even after Dwayne began spying for the Chinese, and Colby began counter-spying for the US, the two ex-Army buddies were still close. On the night after Dwayne’s son, CJ’s birthday party, Dwayne knocked on Colby’s apartment door. When Colby opened the door he was pushed back into his living room without preamble. Colby was glad that Dwayne had taken care of the door, because he couldn’t think straight when Dwayne was pushing and pulling at both of their clothing like that. 

Colby relaxed into the rhythm of sex with Dwayne, and reveled in the familiar taste of Dwayne and tobacco… and alcohol? Colby didn’t really mind. It wasn’t like Colby was taking advantage of him. Dwayne only ever had a beer or two and it only clouded his judgment when it came to Colby. Despite the fact that they shouldn’t because Dwayne had a girlfriend and son waiting at home, it didn’t really deter them. Jenny hadn’t been the same since Dwayne and Colby had been away for their thirteen-month tour in Afghanistan, leaving her to raise an infant single-handedly. It wasn’t Dwayne’s fault that she was bitter… and really a night like this didn’t really mean anything. Did it?


End file.
